Echoes of Time: Polish Pianist Urszula Świerczyńska on Her Platinum-Winning Album Hear the Time
- WOMCO
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
Polish pianist Urszula Świerczyńska has received the Platinum Prize at the Best Classical Musicians Awards 2025 (Season 3) for her CD album Hear the Time. This recording explores the voices of Polish composers from the late 19th century to today, weaving together song, poetry, and instrumental dialogue into a vivid musical narrative.
Released on the DUX label (2025, DUX2107), Hear the Time brings to life works by Aleksander Zarzycki, Ludomir Michał Rogowski, Marian Sawa, and Marcin Tadeusz Łukaszewski. The album features Świerczyńska at the piano alongside an outstanding ensemble of artists: Dorota Całek (soprano), Jakub Jakowicz (violin), Tomasz Strahl (cello), and Alicja Wołyńczyńska-Raniszewska (saxophone).
Could you share the inspiration behind Hear the Time and the message you hope to convey through it?
The analysis of selected songs by Polish composers from the second half of the 19th century to the present day on the example of vocal chamber music by Aleksander Zarzycki, Ludomir Michał Rogowski, Marian Sawa and Marcin Tadeusz Łukaszewski reflects their multicultural compositional ideas. Learning about the works of these composers inspiresa renewed investigation into the issue of how the art of various cultures influenced Polish music on a large scale, and whether the views of these composers converged on many issues.
In every latitude in the world, song is the most personal genre, as it is created withthe human voice in mind. It thus becomes a direct guide to the composers' musical narrative. The way they translate poetry into music is a combination of emotional and intellectual elements.
The multiculturalism of Zarzycki, Rogowski, Sawa and Lukaszewski is manifestedin various ways, such as a particular love of vocal music, literature and religion or natural beauty. Most important is how belonging to various cultures shaped their vocal chamber music. Noteworthy, on the one hand, is the Slavic nature of these artists' individual expression, considering foreign-language songs, and on the other, their fusion of European, American and Oriental music traditions. Both the fascinating biographies and creative paths, as well as the compositional legacy of these artists, which is unique in every respect, deserve more attention from performers than they have received to date. In addition, the geopolitical situation in the world in 2022-2024 motivated me to undertake the present topic of this paper. Deepening multinational conflicts pose a great threat to humanity. Its recognition and, at the same time, promotion of the multicultural aspect of music and world art can support dialogue against division and destruction.
What was your creative process like while composing Hear the Time? How did you approach the structure and dynamics of the piece?
The recording took place at the Polish Radio 2 studio in Warsaw using a Steinway piano, which was part of the studio's equipment, and the private instruments of the other performers. I used microphones from leading global producers and professional studio equipment. My work, along with the performers, was guided by the principle of respecting the musical and literary value of the songs being performed. The proportions between instruments and voice in the songs on the album are typical of vocal chamber music. The proportions for vocal chamber music are fundamentally different, as are the dynamics, from recording purely instrumental music.
How did you collaborate with the recording musicians, and were there any memorable moments during the session?
During the recording of the album and post-production, I remained in good contact with both the co-performers and the sound director. For me, of course, the most interesting moment of the recording was the interpretation on the prepared piano and playing the piano strings and keyboard simultaneously. I was able to fulfill my dream, my fingers had direct contact with the strings, and not only through the keys. I played the piano at the same time as if I were playing a string instrument, and also as if I were playing drums because I was using mallets. Another interesting experience was playing with a double guitar plectrum, i.e. with the right and left hand simultaneously, which was not easy for a pianist. This is most likely the first recording of its kind in the world and the use of the piano is certainly very innovative.
Would you like to share your experience participating in our competition and thank anyone?
Yes, of course, I would like to thank all my co-performers, who are among the world's leading musicians, chamber musicians and soloists. First of all, I would like to thank my teachers who shaped my piano skills and artistic sensitivity. They are, first of all, the Professor Teresa Księska-Falger, Professor Zdzisława Rychlewska, Professor Joanna Domańska, Professor Bogna Czerwińska-Szymula. I would like to thank the renowned jury of the Best Classical Musicians Awards 2025 and the excellent and professional Organizers of this prestigious artistic event.
Biography
Urszula Świerczyńska
A graduate of the Instrumental Faculty of the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice, in the piano class of Professor Joanna Domańska (Master's degree), and the Instrumental Faculty of the Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław, in the piano class of Professor Zdzisława Rychlewska (Bachelor's degree). She also completed her Master's degree at the Faculty of Composition, Theory and Music Education. She honed her piano skills under the guidance of outstanding pianists and teachers: Professor Andrzej Pikul, Professor Maria Murawska, Professor Krystian Tkaczewski, and Professor Masahi Katayama. She has premiered numerous chamber music performances by 21st-century Polish composers. She has performed in prestigious concert halls, including: Carnegie Hall in New York and the Mozarteum auditorium in Salzburg, promoting Polish 19th- and 20th-century compositions associated with the Lublin region.
Urszula Świerczyńska is a laureate of Chopin International Piano Competition in Hartford (USA) She has won awards in over 50 national and international piano competitions. A certified teacher, she has been teaching continuously for 20 years in music education. For the first time in history, she recorded an album featuring the piano works of Ludomir Michał Rogowski. The recording in the concert hall of the Lublin Philharmonic in 2018, was released by DUX. The album, "Ludomir Michał Rogowski Piano Works 2018," received positive reviews in Poland, Switzerland, and the United States. The pianist is the international coordinator of the Ludomir Michał Rogowski Music Days. Member of the Association of Polish Musical Artists and the Marian Sawa Society.
